Saturday, May 14, 2011

Historical fiction picks at BEA

In just over a week, I'll be heading to BEA in New York for four days of networking and book chat, presentations, walking, dining, sightseeing, and shopping. Anyone else going? I'll also be heading to the book blogger con on Friday the 27th, as one of five Sara(h)s on their roster.

It's taken me a while to draw up a list of signings/galley grabbing that may interest historical fiction readers. The online schedule isn't as user-friendly as usual; you have to click around a while to find out what the authors will be signing and what their books are about. So I may have missed some important titles... please let me know in the comments if you spotted something I didn't! It doesn't appear to be a big year for historicals at BEA, but there will be some exciting-sounding books on offer.

Galleys to Grab

Doubleday (booth 4617)
Erin Morgenstern, Night Circus - described by PW as having "19th-century magicians, star-crossed lovers, and a most unusual circus."

Simon & Schuster (booth 3652-53)
Alma Katsu, The Taker - a combo of historical novel and supernatural epic spanning over a century in rural Maine. Are you spotting a trend yet? Historical paranormal is hot. Well, anything paranormal is hot.

Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers - novel, based on the true events of Masada, which is being referred to as the author's Beloved.

HarperCollins (booth 3338-39)
Deborah Lawrenson, The Lantern - a modern gothic set in the south of France, and PW says there will be galleys everywhere. Not historical, but anything remotely Thirteenth Tale/Kate Morton-ish is good enough for me.

Random House (booth 4617)
Charles Frazier, Nightwoods - literary fiction set in 1960s small town North Carolina.

Macmillan (booth 3352)
Yangzom Brauen, Across Many Mountains - an epic of three generations of Tibetan women in the mid-20th century. Per her website, the author is an actress in theatre and film. Giveaway at 9am on Wednesday 5/25.

Stella Tillyard, Tides of War - epic of Regency England, at 9am on Wednesday 5/25

Steve Sem-Sandberg, The Emperor of Lies - novel of the Lodz ghetto, at 10am on Wednesday 5/25

Spiegel & Grau (booth 4420)
Ellen Feldman, Next to Love - multi-generational epic about three young women and the men they're involved with, set during WWII.

Tuesday, 1-2pm, table 24
Luis Alberto Urrea, Queen of America - sequel to the excellent The Hummingbird's Daughter, which is enough to make me want it. Also a galley giveaway on Wednesday morning at booth 3620 (Hachette).

Tuesday, 2pm, as part of "Feminism in Fiction Today" panel
Julie Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic - Japanese mail-order brides in 1900s San Francisco

Wednesday, 3-3:30pm, table 6
M.L. Malcolm, Heart of Deception - novel of espionage, and a father's love for his daughter, set in 1942.
A note from M.L: As a thank you for all the support I’ve received from readers in the Blogsphere this year, I’d like to treat the first 25 Book Bloggers who come by my signing on Wednesday to a glass of wine at the Book Blogger Convention reception. All they have to do is come by Table 6 at 3:00 on Wednesday, pick up a signed copy of “Heart of Deception,” give me a card with the name of their blog on it, and I’ll give them a ticket for a free libation when they come to the reception on Thursday.

Other Featured Books

These were in the Books@BEA catalog, which means they'll be featured at the show in some way - whether galleys will be available, I'm not sure, but I'll be asking about them (and others too).

Bloomsbury (booth 3358)
Victor Davis Hanson, The End of Sparta - epic of war and freedom in ancient Greece.

Farrar Straus & Giroux (booth 3352)
Amitav Ghosh, River of Smoke - 2nd in historical saga set against the Opium Wars in China and Mauritius in the mid-19th century.
Steve Sam-Sandberg, The Emperor of Lies - an international award-winning novel about the Jewish ghetto of Lodz during WWII, and its authoritarian ruler.

Henry Holt (booth 3352)
Stella Tillyard, Tides of War - novel of the Peninsular War, by a noted historian (Aristocrats).

Hi Susie, glad you liked the list! Most of these books will be out in the fall... a few of them, like Queen of Kings, are out now.

Heather, I think you made the right choice! Normally I see many more historical novels being promoted at BEA. I'm sure there will be others that I haven't listed here - I'll be reporting back after it's over.

Great list of books - can't be there but I appreciate being alerted to so many good books. Deborah Lawrenson (The Lantern)has a fabulous blog about the setting for her book with beautiful pictures, well worth checking out.

Thank you for the shout out for The Taker! I hope you come to the signing on 24 May at 11:00 at BEA -- be sure to say hello! Or let's get together at Book Blogger Con and talk post-Revolutionary War history. It's not something I get to use much in everyday life!

Thank you for the referral to Deborah Lawrenson's blog, Deborah. I wasn't aware of it and have been enjoying myself scanning the entries and the gorgeous photos of Provence. I hadn't realized she'd written two other books - must check them out.

Alma, thanks for stopping by! I'll look forward to seeing you at BEA and the blogger con.

I envy your trip -- so many good reads and things to see! Next weekend we are having the Connecticut Book Festival. Unfortunately, I am working all day on Saturday and will miss Wendell Minor, Wally Lamb, and a mystery panel. It's killing me! I will get to go on Sunday, but not as many things that interest me are happening then. :(

I just found the website on the CT Book Festival. These large book events are among the things I miss about living there! Coincidentally, my mother teaches at UConn Hartford campus, so I know exactly where it is. I saw Chandra Prasad is appearing Sunday. Her On Borrowed Wings is very good if you haven't read it; it takes place at Yale in the '30s. The program looks great. Have a good time!

Thanks, Aida, I'll try! I'm probably crazy for heading there two weeks before San Diego, but BEA is a must-attend conference for me. I hadn't recognized Hanson's name before, but now that I'm browsing his website, many titles look familiar. The Hoffman is a high-priority title for me too.

Looks as if multi-generational is in vogue as well as the paranormal :) The Tibetan one sounds interesting.

Victor Davis Hanson is a noted classicist and military historian. He's written several non-fiction titles about the ancient world, but I think "End of Sparta" may be his first venture into fiction, though wouldn't like to swear to that.

Oh Sarah, I didn't know you were going this year! I am too and am very excited. I'm still working on my schedule and book picks. I'm leaving for NYC on Thursday so I can get some sightseeing in before. It will be my first time to NYC as well as the BEA.

I just did a post for the BEA with links to tips from bloggers who were there last year: http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2011/05/bea-or-bust.html

Multi-generational stories always appeal to me, so if they're in vogue, so much the better. I think you're right about Hanson's book (I can't find any previous novels) but the PR material doesn't say "debut" and you'd think it would.

Sounds good, Teddy. We'll have to get together at some point. I'm there starting Monday afternoon. You're going to have a great time.

Thanks, Deb, and I see you have a historical fiction-related blog too. I'll go and sign up as a follower.